Radio unit and method performed by a radio unit operable in a base station system of a wireless communication network for reducing interference at the radio unit

Abstract

Disclosed is a method performed by a radio unit ( 10 ) operable in a base station system of a wireless communication network, for reducing interference at the RU. The base station system comprises a baseband unit ( 30 ) the radio unit ( 10 ) and a plurality of radio heads ( 21 - 26 ) wherein the radio unit is connected to the plurality of radio heads via a number of metallic conductors ( 40 ), and wherein a signal is to be communicated to the radio unit at a first frequency range over one of the number of metallic conductors from one of the plurality of radio heads. The method comprises: detecting ( 206 ) if there is any near end crosstalk, NEXT, at a receiver of the RU, the receiver being connected to the one of the number of metallic conductors, and, when NEXT is detected, triggering ( 210 ) the one of the plurality of RHs to send the signal to be communicated over the one of the number of metallic conductors at a second frequency range different from the first frequency range where a lower NEXT is expected than at the first frequency range. Disclosed are also a corresponding radio unit and a computer program.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method performed by a radio unit (RU) operable in a base station system of a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
 detecting, in a detecting frequency range, Near End Crosstalk (NEXT) on a metallic conductor that couples a receiver of the RU to a Radio Head (RH) that is to transmit data signals to the receiver via the metallic conductor, using a first frequency range that is higher than the detecting frequency range, said NEXT being stronger in the detecting frequency range than in the first frequency range; 
 evaluating the NEXT and correspondingly identifying a second frequency range that is higher than the first frequency range, said NEXT being more attenuated in the second frequency range than in the first frequency range; and 
 indicating to the RH to use the second frequency range, instead of the first frequency range, for transmitting the data signals to the RU. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating the NEXT and correspondingly identifying the second frequency range comprises identifying a frequency range corresponding to a spectral null associated with a harmonic of the NEXT. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data signals convey uplink data from one or more wireless devices connected to the wireless communication network via the RH, and further comprising performing or repeating the method of  claim 1 , in response to one or more of the wireless devices reporting degraded signal quality. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of RHs are associated with the RU, each RH coupled to the RU through a respective metallic conductor, and wherein detecting NEXT at the receiver of the RU comprises performing detection measurements on two or more of the metallic conductors. 
     
     
       5. A radio unit (RU) configured for operation in a base station system of a wireless communication network, the RU comprising:
 a receiver and a transmitter configured for receiving from and transmitting to a Radio Head (RH); and 
 processing circuitry operatively associated with the receiver and transmitter and configured to:
 detect, in a detecting frequency range, Near End Crosstalk (NEXT) on a metallic conductor that couples the receiver of the RU to the Radio Head (RH), where the RH is to transmit data signals to the receiver via the metallic conductor, using a first frequency range that is higher than the detecting frequency range, said NEXT being stronger in the detecting frequency range than in the first frequency range; 
 evaluate the NEXT and correspondingly identify a second frequency range that is higher than the first frequency range, said NEXT being more attenuated in the second frequency range than in the first frequency range; and 
 indicate to the RH to use the second frequency range, instead of the first frequency range, for transmitting the data signals to the RU. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The RU of  claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to evaluate the NEXT and correspondingly identify the second frequency range by identifying a frequency range corresponding to a spectral null associated with a harmonic of the NEXT. 
     
     
       7. The RU of  claim 5 , wherein the data signals convey uplink data from one or more wireless devices connected to the wireless communication network via the RH, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to repeat the operations of  claim 5 , in response to one or more of the wireless devices reporting degraded signal quality. 
     
     
       8. The RU of  claim 5 , wherein a plurality of RHs are associated with the RU, each RH coupled to the RU through a respective metallic conductor, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to detect NEXT at the receiver of the RU by performing detection measurements on two or more of the metallic conductors.